ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that his country was ready for a dialogue with India as hostilities between the two nations worsened this morning following an engagement between the air forces. Pakistan and Indian Air Forces had not engaged since the 1971 war. The unprecedented escalation had come within a fortnight of the Jaish-e Mohammad suicide attack on a CRPF convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama, in which 40 soldiers lost their lives.

From here, it is imperative that we use our heads and act with wisdom. Pakistan is "ready for any sort of dialogue on terrorism. I reiterate that better sense should prevail. We should sit and settle this with talks. I ask India ... the weapons they have and we have, can we afford a miscalculation? If this escalates, it won’t be in my control and won’t be in Modi’s. Better sense should prevail, the premier told India. The sole purpose was to tell them [India] that if they can come here, we can go there too. All wars are miscalculated and no one knows where they lead to. When action was taken yesterday, I had a chat with the army chief. We did not respond right away. It would have been irresponsible to cause casualties on their side. We made the offer to India because it is not in our interest that Pakistan's soil is used for terrorism. I want to take you [the nation] into confidence," said the Pak PM.

Following last night's air strikes by the IAF on Jaish's biggest terror camp at Balakot, Pakistan today targeted Indian military installations, the government said. An F-16 jet of the Pakistan Air Force was hit and its wreckage fell across the Line of Control. India has also lost a MiG fighter jet and the pilot has been missing in action, the foreign ministry said in a statement. Pakistan has claimed that they have captured the pilot - a claim India said needs to be verified. India had shot down Imran Khan's repeated offers for dialogue, stating that talks and terror can't go hand in hand.